End BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) in the UK

The Issue

Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) is an attempt to reduce the number of dog attacks by legislating against the ownership and breeding of a specific breed of dog. BSL in the UK takes the form of the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, which targets the pit-bull terrier. However, BSL has been found to be an outdated, and ineffective way to prevent dogs bites. BSL usually follows a few, highly-publicized incidents of dog aggression and are a response to public fear and hysteria, rather than research and logic. Innocent and well-behaved family pets may be seized simply for belonging (or appearing to belong) to a certain breed, regardless of their behaviour and temperament. BSL is an expensive and essentially impossible to enforce form of legislation that has not been found to have a significant impact on the rate of dog bites in a population, and unfairly targets a wide number of dogs with no history of aggression. Breed alone cannot account for a dogs behaviour, and has been found to be an ineffective way of preventing dog bites. We would like the UK Government and Parliament to consider amending or repealing the 1990 Dangerous Dogs act in light of substantial evidence that it is an ineffective method of protecting the community from dangerous dogs. We suggest that legislation that targets dogs based on prior behaviour rather than breed membership should be implemented, along with laws which encourage responsible dog ownership which would help reduce practices that encourage aggressive behaviours in pets (regardless of breed).

Evidence:

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour has officially stated that BSL "is ineffective, and can lead to a false sense of community safety as well as welfare concerns for dogs identified (often incorrectly) as belonging to specific breeds" 

Evidence of how ineffective BSL is can be found in the fact that the rate of dog bites can be seen to increase even after BSL has been enforced for a significant period of time. 

Importantly, "pit bull" does not refer to an actual specific breed; it is an umbrella term used to describe dogs resembling or containing a mix of several different breeds (including Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bull Terrier, etc) or possessing a range of physical traits (broad head, muscular body, etc) considered characteristic of these breeds.

This means that BSL targeting "pit bulls" does not target an actual breed and that dogs which may be a mixture of different breed altogether may be seized and euthanized.

The Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Michigan State University conducted a study in which they found that experienced shelter workers could only correctly identify a true "pit bull" 8% of the time. This has serious implications considering for families with innocent dogs since under BSL a pet can be euthanized for simply "looking like" a pit bull. 

The complexity of the dog genome means that only 0.25% of a dogs DNA determines its physical appearance, and that physical characteristics can not indicated the personality or behaviour of the dog itself.   

The root cause of dangerous dog behaviour is not the breed of a dog itself, but how this dog has been raised by its owner(s). Owners of vicious dogs are disproportionately likely to engage in criminal behaviours, and less likely to engage in positive training and socialization practices, actively encouraging aggressive tendencies in their pets. Dogs which are abused or neglected, subjected to aversive training practices, and which are isolated from positive human interactions have been found to be more likely to engage in aggressive behaviours, regardless of breed. Pit-bull type dogs are the most abused, abandoned, and euthanized dog type in the United States.

 

The American Veterinary Medical Association compiled a study in which they outlined community responses to dangerous dogs deemed more effective than outdated BSL. When outlining model legislation regarding dangerous dogs they concluded that "'Dangerous dog'; means any dog which without justification attacks a person or domestic animal causing physical injury or death, or behaves in a manner that a reasonable person would believe poses an unjustified imminent threat of serious injury or death to one or more persons or domestic animals. A dog’s breed shall not be considered in determining whether or not it is “dangerous.”" (Emphasis added) 

The American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Kennel Club, the United Kennel Club, the ASPCA, and The Humane Society of the United States all support laws that target dogs based on prior behaviour rather than breed membership alone. This form of legislation spares owners of innocent dogs and breeds, targeting only dogs that have actually been found to pose a danger.

 

avatar of the starter
Charlotte WheelerPetition Starter
Media inquiries
This petition had 546 supporters

The Issue

Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) is an attempt to reduce the number of dog attacks by legislating against the ownership and breeding of a specific breed of dog. BSL in the UK takes the form of the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, which targets the pit-bull terrier. However, BSL has been found to be an outdated, and ineffective way to prevent dogs bites. BSL usually follows a few, highly-publicized incidents of dog aggression and are a response to public fear and hysteria, rather than research and logic. Innocent and well-behaved family pets may be seized simply for belonging (or appearing to belong) to a certain breed, regardless of their behaviour and temperament. BSL is an expensive and essentially impossible to enforce form of legislation that has not been found to have a significant impact on the rate of dog bites in a population, and unfairly targets a wide number of dogs with no history of aggression. Breed alone cannot account for a dogs behaviour, and has been found to be an ineffective way of preventing dog bites. We would like the UK Government and Parliament to consider amending or repealing the 1990 Dangerous Dogs act in light of substantial evidence that it is an ineffective method of protecting the community from dangerous dogs. We suggest that legislation that targets dogs based on prior behaviour rather than breed membership should be implemented, along with laws which encourage responsible dog ownership which would help reduce practices that encourage aggressive behaviours in pets (regardless of breed).

Evidence:

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour has officially stated that BSL "is ineffective, and can lead to a false sense of community safety as well as welfare concerns for dogs identified (often incorrectly) as belonging to specific breeds" 

Evidence of how ineffective BSL is can be found in the fact that the rate of dog bites can be seen to increase even after BSL has been enforced for a significant period of time. 

Importantly, "pit bull" does not refer to an actual specific breed; it is an umbrella term used to describe dogs resembling or containing a mix of several different breeds (including Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bull Terrier, etc) or possessing a range of physical traits (broad head, muscular body, etc) considered characteristic of these breeds.

This means that BSL targeting "pit bulls" does not target an actual breed and that dogs which may be a mixture of different breed altogether may be seized and euthanized.

The Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Michigan State University conducted a study in which they found that experienced shelter workers could only correctly identify a true "pit bull" 8% of the time. This has serious implications considering for families with innocent dogs since under BSL a pet can be euthanized for simply "looking like" a pit bull. 

The complexity of the dog genome means that only 0.25% of a dogs DNA determines its physical appearance, and that physical characteristics can not indicated the personality or behaviour of the dog itself.   

The root cause of dangerous dog behaviour is not the breed of a dog itself, but how this dog has been raised by its owner(s). Owners of vicious dogs are disproportionately likely to engage in criminal behaviours, and less likely to engage in positive training and socialization practices, actively encouraging aggressive tendencies in their pets. Dogs which are abused or neglected, subjected to aversive training practices, and which are isolated from positive human interactions have been found to be more likely to engage in aggressive behaviours, regardless of breed. Pit-bull type dogs are the most abused, abandoned, and euthanized dog type in the United States.

 

The American Veterinary Medical Association compiled a study in which they outlined community responses to dangerous dogs deemed more effective than outdated BSL. When outlining model legislation regarding dangerous dogs they concluded that "'Dangerous dog'; means any dog which without justification attacks a person or domestic animal causing physical injury or death, or behaves in a manner that a reasonable person would believe poses an unjustified imminent threat of serious injury or death to one or more persons or domestic animals. A dog’s breed shall not be considered in determining whether or not it is “dangerous.”" (Emphasis added) 

The American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Kennel Club, the United Kennel Club, the ASPCA, and The Humane Society of the United States all support laws that target dogs based on prior behaviour rather than breed membership alone. This form of legislation spares owners of innocent dogs and breeds, targeting only dogs that have actually been found to pose a danger.

 

avatar of the starter
Charlotte WheelerPetition Starter
Media inquiries

The Decision Makers

UK Goverment and Parliament
UK Goverment and Parliament

Petition Updates

Share this petition

Petition created on August 13, 2016